U Georgia Approves Student Green Fee
University of Georgia President Michael Adams has announced the approval of a student green fee to begin next fall. The $3 fee will help to fund a campus sustainability office, support efforts to coordinate environmental programming, address energy efficiency, and interlace sustainability efforts on campus with university academics.
U Idaho Establishes Electronic Waste Guidelines
The University of Idaho has developed a process for eco-friendly electronics disposal. E-waste must now be sent to recycling centers or put back into the market for reuse. All e-waste from the university’s main campus will be sent to a vendor, who will recycle the materials and certify that they are handled in the most environmentally-friendly manner possible.
U Idaho Partners to Teach Local Students About Climate Change
The University of Idaho has announced a new program that aims to educate Idaho seventh through twelfth graders about the impacts of climate change and how it affects their everyday lives. McCall Outdoor Science School (MOSS) programs consist of five- to 10-day expeditionary science learning experiences that will occur in students' classrooms, in natural areas in close vicinity to their schools, and in the mountains and forests of central Idaho near the MOSS campus. Each outreach program module is divided into four sessions. Topics include watersheds, exploring local rivers, mapping and GIS, invasive species, fire ecology, and landforms. The program received a seed grant from the University of Idaho's National Science Foundation Experimental Program to Stimulate Competitive Research (EPSCoR) program a $25,000 grant from the Walmart Foundation.
U Illinois Receives Energy Efficiency Funding
The University of Illinois has received more than $848,000 from Governor Pat Quinn to increase energy efficiency on campus. The funding will be used to install energy wheels to stop warm air from leaving many new and renovated buildings; insulation on steam pipes; heating, ventilation, and air conditioning controls; exhaust controls; and geothermal systems. The University expects to save $1 million annually as a result of the energy investments. The $848,000 is a portion of the $100 million federal stimulus dollars allocated to the state of Illinois by the Department of Energy.
U King's College Student Named Rhodes Scholar
A University of King's College (NS) student, Rosanna Nicol, has been named a Rhodes Scholar. As a scholar she will spend at least two years at Oxford University in England conducting post-graduate study. Nicol has always been interested in refugee and sustainability issues and plans to focus her thesis on how socially responsible investing can create capital flow to areas in need.
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Posted Feb 1, 2010
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Other News
U Melbourne Creates Sustainability Website
The University of Melbourne's (Australia) Sustainable Society Institute (MSSI) has created a website that acts as a virtual hub to showcase the breadth and depth of research on climate change in the University. The website aims to communicate university research to the outside audience of policy makers and the concerned general public. The University hopes that the website will also contribute to creating more interdisciplinary research projects and cross-faculty collaboration in sustainability, with staff from different research backgrounds and with different skill sets, who are spread across the Parkville campus, finding each other via the web.
U Melbourne Forms Sustainability Projects Reference Group
The University of Melbourne (Australia) has established the Sustainability Projects Reference Group. The Group meets regularly to discuss the implementation of university-wide sustainability projects. The Group will also discuss cost-saving initiatives that will help the University reach its commitment to reduce its carbon footprint.
U Negros Occidental-Recoletos Creates Recycling Trees
The University of Negros Occidental-Recoletos (Philippines) campus has created "recycling trees" to encourage students to recycle. Nets have been places around campus for students to shoot empty bottles and cans into, much like shooting a basketball into a hoop, to make recycling fun. Once the nets are full, they resemble holiday trees. The recyclables are exchanged for money to be used to fund on-campus recycling and organic farming projects.
United Kingdom Universities Urged to Significantly Cut Emissions
Universities in the United Kingdom have been urged to cut emissions 50 percent by 2020 against 1990 levels, and 100 percent by 2050. This set of targets comes from the Higher Education Funding Council for England. The council says much of the goal can be met by increasing energy efficiency on campuses.
U North Carolina Chapel Hill Opens Local Foods Dining Option
The University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill has opened a new eatery in one of its dining halls that serves local food. The new dining option, 1.5.0, gets its name from its commitment to only serve food from within 150 miles. Dining services hoped the new eatery would break even in sales, but so far it has exceeded those expectations. Students have been excited to try the new option with items such as sweet potato fries with local honey. The restaurant features a chalkboard menu that will change weekly according to produce and meat availability.
U North Florida Building Receives LEED Gold Certification
The University of North Florida's newest building on campus has received LEED Gold certification. The 107,000-square-foot College of Education and Human Resources building utilizes natural light, energy efficiency, and recycled materials to make it more sustainable than traditional buildings. The $18 million project includes teaching labs, faculty offices, meeting rooms and support spaces.
U Notre Dame Publishes First Annual Sustainability Report
The University of Notre Dame (IN) has released "Sustainability at Notre Dame 2008-2009," its first annual sustainability report. The report describes initiatives undertaken in each of the seven focus areas of the Office of Sustainability: power generation, design and construction, waste reduction, transportation, procurement, food services, and water. Highlights include a 7.5 percent reduction in total carbon emissions from energy usage and a 2.5 percent reduction in total electricity usage, the $4 million Energy Conservation Measures program, construction of the first campus buildings expecting LEED certification, a campus-wide shift to recycled-content paper, and the initiation of a comprehensive Game Day Recycling program.
U Queensland Signs the Talloires Declaration
The University of Queensland (Australia) has signed the Talloires Declaration to show their formal commitment to sustainability. By signing this international declaration, UQ commits to implement a 10-point action plan to incorporate sustainability and environmental literacy into its teaching, research, operations, and outreach. The University joins over 400 other universities by signing the declaration.
U Sydney Receives Sustainability Award
The University of Sydney (Australia) has been recognized by the New South Wales Government with the Green Globe Public Sector Sustainability Award. The Integrated Sustainability Analysis team at the University has made the measurement of the carbon footprint of a business or organization much easier. Their method involves inputting data into a computer program to devise truly sustainable strategies and outcomes that benefit the environment, economy, and society. While undertaking general research, the team developed an ecological footprint assessment framework. It takes into account everything from money spent, industrial interdependency, energy and water consumption, and carbon emissions to reveal just what environmental impact a business is having, from the very start of its supply chain through to the end product.
U Tasmania Opens Renewable Energy Research Facility
The University of Tasmania (Australia) has opened a new renewable energy laboratory and solar energy research facility. The research will focus on developing new and better ways to store the energy produced by renewable sources.
U Wisconsin Superior Opens Student Center
The University of Wisconsin, Superior has opened its new student center, the Yellowjacket Union. The 90,000-square-foot $22 million building incorporates a green roof, large south-facing windows, and a rain garden. The University is seeking LEED Silver certification on the building.
Warren Wilson College Trains City Employees in Energy Efficiency
Warren Wilson College (NC) has partnered with the City of Ashville to help train its employees to evaluate and improve building energy efficiency. WWC held a week-long Home Energy Rating Systems training program, during which 20 employees learned how to utilize diagnostic equipment and software to conduct energy analyses. Participants also learned practices for increasing energy efficiency. The 16 building inspectors who participated in the training can now serve as energy efficiency ambassadors and the four building maintenance employees who participated will be able to help reduce municipal energy expenditures.
Washington U in St. Louis Announces Carpool Incentive Program
Employees on the Danforth, North, and West Washington in St. Louis (MO) campuses now have access to a carpool incentive program. Through the "Bearly Drivers" program, full-time employees can save money, get access to priority parking, and win prizes. Carpool participants will receive two free daily yellow parking permits each month via campus mail to use when their schedules might make carpooling difficult. In addition, all carpoolers will be automatically enrolled in the Guaranteed Ride Home Program, a service that reimburses members the price of a taxi home in case of an emergency or for unscheduled overtime.
Washington U in St. Louis Moves to Single-Stream Recycling
Washington University in St. Louis (MO) has implemented single-stream recycling throughout the Danforth, West, North and South campuses. Waste bins are now labeled either "Recycling" or "Landfill." Comingled recyclable items will be sorted off-campus by a vendor. The University hopes this new, simpler way to recycle waste will improve recycling in general.
Western Illinois U Hires Sustainability Coordinator
Western Illinois University has named Mandi Green as its first ever sustainability coordinator. In her role as sustainability coordinator, which began December 7, 2009, Green develops and implements initiatives involving energy, transportation, waste management, recycling, green purchasing, and more, as well as prepares the required sustainability reports for the state of Illinois. Green will also work with student and other university groups to promote and raise awareness of Western's sustainability initiatives.
Western Washington U Commits to Local Food
Western Washington University has joined the Real Food Challenge, a group that encourages universities to increase the amount of ethically produced food on campus, and has made a commitment to increase the amount of Northwest-grown, fair-trade, organic, and humanely produced food on campus by 20 percent. To help meet this goal, Dining Services is working with Growing Washington to dedicate land to specifically grow food for the University. Dining Services also plans to freeze or preserve summer produce to be used during the winter months.
Zayed U and Masdar Institute Partner on Renewable Energy
Zayed University and Masdar Institute (United Arab Emirates) have partnered to advance research and education on renewable energy. Research will study the scientific and socio-economic implications of large scale renewable energy. The agreement also outlines arrangements for Zayed University to support the Masdar Institute’s "pre-Master’s" program by offering preparatory coursework to help students meet the Institute’s rigorous graduate admissions requirements.
Central Carolina CC Receives Grant for Green Laboratories
Central Carolina Community College (NC) has received a $30,000 grant from Progress Energy Foundation for its energy efficiency/green building and renewable energy programs. The grant will help pay for two new laboratories and allow students to have more hands on training. The energy efficiency/green building lab will include workstations in solar photovoltaic and solar thermal technologies, as well as weatherization stations and green building materials demonstrations. The renewable energy lab will allow students to work on photovoltaic and solar thermal systems, creating connections, testing equipment, and monitoring system efficiencies.
Chandler-Gilbert CC Opens Green Building
Chandler-Gilbert Community College (AZ) has opened Ironwood Hall, its first new construction in 11 years. The building houses 22 classrooms, 9 science labs, and a number of offices and lounges. The building incorporates green features such as insulated concrete and water reclamation, and hopes to achieve LEED Silver certification.
Colorado State U Receives $44M for Algae Research
Colorado State University, in partnership with Solix Biofuels Inc., has been awarded a $44 million grant from the U.S. Department of Energy for algae-to-oil research. The grant is part the National Alliance for Advanced Biofuels and Bioproducts, and the researchers will focus on such issues as reuse of biproducts and feasibility of algae replacing gasoline.
Duke U Introduces Reusable To-Go Containers
Duke University (NC) has introduced the "Eco-Clamshell," a reusable to-go container which is now available to students, faculty, and staff. The clamshells are like current to-go containers used on campus, except they are made of environmentally-friendly polypropylene, a type of hard plastic. Students and employees who want to participate pay $5 for each reusable container. After the initial $5, no other fees are paid. After using a clamshell, employees and students are asked to rinse it out and return it to a drop station by the cash register at a campus dining facility, where it will be cleaned and sanitized. When an owner turns the to-go container in, he or she receives a keychain token that can be turned in for a replacement clamshell. Campus Dining gave away the first 200 to-go containers as part of the program's launch.
Elon U Conducts Sustainability Assessment with EPA System
Elon University (NC) has begun a sustainability assessment with the Environmental Management System, a tool promoted by the Environmental Protection Agency's (EPA) Colleges and Universities Sector Group. The EMS program allows colleges to identify and rank environmental aspects in order to develop new goals and procedures. Students and staff are analyzing environmental factors in each department to determine where they can cut down on waste and conserve more.
Georgia Institute of Technology Buses Use Biodiesel
Georgia Institute of Technology has signed a 10-year contract with a transportation provider that will bring new buses and trolleys to campus. The new vehicles will be using a B20 mixture of biodiesel fuel, which will be made out of cooking oil from the school's dining services.
Illinois CC Sustainability Network Receives Grant
The Illinois Community College Sustainability Network (ICCSN) has received a $1.7 million grant to expand its green educational and training offerings throughout the system and to open three new Green Job Centers. The ICCSN is a consortium of 48 community colleges geared toward advancing career development in energy efficiency and renewable energy.
Maharishi U Management Expands Recycling Program
Maharishi University of Management (IA) has introduced a greatly expanded recycling program that includes recycling bins in every residence hall room, 30 recycling stations in the major buildings, and 15 recycling sheds spread around campus. MUM also plans to increase awareness among the students, staff, and residents through a new recycling campaign. The project was funded by a grant from the Iowa Department of Natural Resources.
Marshall U Hands Out Reusable Water Bottles
Marshall University's (WV) Sustainability Department handed aluminum water bottles out to students in an effort to reduce waste and promote recycling. The Department, which was created by a student green fee, hopes to distribute 6,000 bottles in the near future.
Rowan U Students & Faculty Work to Green Pharmaceutical Companies
Students and faculty in Rowan University's (NJ) College of Engineering are working with pharmaceutical companies to help green their processes. Through EPA grants totaling over $200,000, the University is expanding its green engineering research to work with the pharmaceuticals to help them reduce waste and become more efficient. Current research focuses on minimizing the impacts of raw materials used in creating the products and reducing pollution.
Syracuse U Opens Green Data Center
Syracuse University (NY) has completed its new Green Data Center. The $12.4 million, 12,000-square-foot facility uses an innovative on-site power generation system for electricity, heating and cooling, and incorporates IBM’s latest energy-efficient servers, computer-cooling technology and system management software. The Center is anticipated to use about 50 percent less energy than a typical data center. The SU GDC features an on-site electrical tri-generation system that uses natural gas-fueled microturbines to generate all the electricity for the center and cooling for the computer servers. The center will be able to operate completely off-grid. The project is seeking LEED Silver certification.
U Michigan Launches Integrated Sustainability Assessment
The University of Michigan has launched a year-long initiative to study campus operations with a plan to set ambitious goals to become more sustainable. UM's recently formed Sustainability Executive Council approved the study—called an integrated assessment—as one of its first major initiatives. The result will be a thorough and multi-layered analysis that will give the University the detailed knowledge and insight needed to make decisions. The assessment also sets the stage for the long-term behavioral changes that will enable UM to reach its goals. The Graham Environmental Sustainability Institute and the Office of Campus Sustainability will engage teams of faculty, staff and students in the integrated assessment in a coordinated process to gather data, capture a multitude of perspectives, promote buy-in and draw on deep technical expertise. The assessment has two phases: one to establish initial recommendations and a second to dive more deeply into priority areas identified through the first phase. Student involvement is a key feature of the integrated assessment.
U Texas Arlington Hires Sustainability Director
The University of Texas at Austin has named Meghna Tare as its first director of sustainability. Tare holds a master's degree in environmental studies from San Jose State University (CA) and a master's degree in chemistry from the University of San Francisco (CA). She was an environmental manager with the city of Dallas' Office of Environmental Quality for the past three years and has taught environmental studies at California State University at Hayward and worked at Stanford University (CA) with the Institute of Environmental Science and Policy. Her duties include initiating and coordinating programs in utility efficiency and management, carbon foot print reduction, recycling and waste reduction, transportation, environmentally preferable purchasing, and much more.
U Toronto Athletic Center Installs Solar Hot Water Heater
The University of Toronto (ON) Athletics Center has installed 100 rooftop solar collector panels to supply nearly 25 percent of the heat for the building's showers and laundry facilities during peak sunshine months, substantially reducing natural gas use throughout the year. The initiative first took shape as a student project in 2006, when Faculty of Applied Sciences undergraduate Ashley Taylor evaluated the feasibility of installing solar collector panels at the location. Now employed full-time by the University's sustainability office, Taylor worked with the facilities and services division on campus to see the project through to completion.
William Paterson U to Install 3.5 MW Solar Array
William Paterson University (NJ) has reached an agreement with Nautilus Solar Power and SunDurance Energy to install a 3.5 MW solar array. The project, which will include the installation of solar panels on the rooftop and parking lot of the campus, will initially aim to generate three megawatts of solar power with the completion of its first phase this summer. The second part of the project, which will add another 500 kilowatts, is currently scheduled to go online sometime in 2011.The school estimates that it will save $4.3 million in energy costs over the next 15 years.
5 Campuses Announce New Ride-Sharing Programs
The University of California, Irvine; University of California, Berkeley; University of San Francisco (CA); University of Maryland; and George Mason University (VA) have launched an integrated car and ride sharing application on their campuses. The integrated Zipcar-Zimride application allows members to share a ride by posting the date, time, and destination of the trip to the Zimride campus community. Once posted, Zimride's route algorithm finds and notifies users looking for a ride to the same or nearby destination. Zimride members also may find and share a local Zipcar if a posted ride is not available or does not exist. The campuses hope to reduce congestion, parking demand, and CO2 emissions while at the same time providing a cost-saving and convenient alternative to car ownership for faculty, staff, and students.
Agnes Scott College Receives Grant for Green Initiatives
Agnes Scott College (GA) has received a $150,000 grant from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund to continue and expand its efforts to become more sustainable. The grant will be used to fund a sustainability fellow position, install real-time utility trackers in several residence halls, and an energy audit that will provide a detailed assessment of the College’s energy use.
Albion College Recycles & Reuses International House Materials
Albion College (MI) has announced that, before Gerstacker International House was demolished, a significant amount of recyclable and reusable material was removed from the building. Along with recycling metals and plastics, the College's Facilities department salvaged materials that may be used elsewhere on campus, and gave other building materials to community groups such as Habitat for Humanity. The I-House site will be developed into green space and a garden, which will retain the I-House's courtyard sculpture and many of the current plantings.
Bowdoin College Health & Fitness Center Awarded LEED Silver
The Buck Center for Health and Fitness at Bowdoin College (ME) has earned LEED Silver certification. The building contains several green performance elements, including energy-efficient lighting and water fixtures, certified wood, and eco-friendly furniture and carpeting, as well as water-efficient landscaping.
California Polytechnic State U Recognized for Commuting
The California Polytechnic State University has been awarded a gold medal for Best Workplace for Commuters. Amenities such as 11 vans for van pooling, showers for bike commuters, and car-share programs like Zipcar were all part of the University winning the award. The University of Southern Florida’s National Center for Transit Research awarded 27 companies, institutions, and individuals around the country for their commuting efforts. Also recognized was Stanford University (CA) and Virginia Tech.
California State U Bakersfield Hosts E-Waste Event
California State University, Bakersfield is hosting an e-waste event at the end of January to collect electronic waste from the surrounding community. Electronic items often contain hazardous elements, such as lead or mercury, and providing an event for citizens to recycle these items, helps keep them from landfills.
Chronicle of Higher Ed Covers Pressure Faced by Coal Campuses
The Chronicle of Higher Education has published an article on the pressure faced by coal-burning campuses to convert to renewable fuels. Higher education institutions mentioned include: Pennsylvania State University; University of Wisconsin, Madison; Binghamton University (NY); University of Minnesota-Twin Cities; University of Southern California; University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill; Duke University (NC); Virginia Tech; Ohio State University; University of Manitoba; and Ball State University (IN).
Cornell U Collaborates to Launch Campus Carbon Reduction Website
Cornell University (NY) and the U.S. Department of Energy's National Renewable Energy Laboratory have launched a website to help campus-based institutions develop clean energy and carbon-reduction strategies. The Climate Neutral Research Campuses website provides campuses with a process to establish a baseline carbon inventory and develop and implement their own climate action plans. The core of the website is a resource center that describes 24 specific climate action options. For each action, the website provides a leading example of the related technology and reference links. It also offers guidance on selecting the right technology options for an individual campus.
Cornell U Sets Goal to Become Coal-Free
Cornell University (NY) has finished a new Combined Heat and Power Plant, which uses mainly natural gas, that will help the institution move away from using coal by mid-2011. The plant will not only provide electricity, but the extra heat will be used to keep buildings warm. The new plant is expected to reduce the University's carbon footprint by almost 30 percent.
Emory U Structure Receives LEED Gold
The Emory University (GA) Goizueta Foundation Center, a classroom and administration building for the business school, has received LEED Gold certification. The 101,920-square-foot building contains low-flow fixtures that reduce water use by 20 percent, an underground cistern to capture storm water that will be used to irrigate campus plantings, and a protective tree save area. 50 percent of the building material used during construction was made from recycled content, and 86 percent of the construction waste was diverted from local landfills.
Georgetown U Fuels Fleet with Biodiesel
Georgetown University (DC) has begun to use blended biodiesel in its fleet of GU Transportation Shuttle buses and other staff vehicles in an effort to reduce its carbon foot print 50 percent by 2020. The University currently uses a B20 blend.
